Two-wheeled vehicle



(No Model.)

J. R. LOOKE.

TWO WHEELED VEHICLE.

No. 290,248. Patented Dec. 18, 1883.

Wz/r/esscs.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J OSEPH R. LOCKE, OF AMESBURY, )IASSAOIIUS ETTS.

TWO-WHEELED VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 290,248, dated December 18, 1883.

Application filed March 19, 1883. (No modem To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn ll. Loom), of Amesbury, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Two-\Vheeled Vehicles, which will, in connection with the aeeompanying' drawings, be hereinafter fully described, and specifically defined in the appended claims.

This invention relates to the means or deviccs which are interposed between the body and the axle, and by which the formcris supported upon the latter, so that the body is allowed a limited. cushioned movement in the various directions requisite to neutralize the shocks which result from contact of the wheels with greater or less obstacles in the traveled way, and by which the body is also relieved from the jerky vertical and lateral movements which the action of the horse inevitably imparts to the shafts by reason of the alternating side advances of the horse, as his shoulders are successively thrown forward and his body is rat at and lowered by the rising and falling of his feet in the act of advancing along the way.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a two-wheeled vehicle embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the vehicle shown in Fig. 1, the front portion of the shafts being broken away to allow a larger scale of drawings.

In said views, a. a represent the wheels. I) is the axle, and c e the shafts, rigidly secured to the axle, as shown in Fig. 2, said several parts being of usual old and well-known construetion.

Upon axle b are rigidly secured the springs c e, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2, and at the respective ends of said springs are secured the cross-bars ff, while the short thoroughbXZLCCSf/ g are secured to said cross-bars at the proper distances from springs e to be socured to the respective corners of body (1', as shown. \Vhcn, in order to allow the low hanging of body (I, it is formed with the common transverse axle-recess, h, the thoroughbraces 51 are arranged to extend only a portion of the length of the body, as shown; but if the body is formed without said axle-recess,

then the thoroughbraces may, in the wellknown manner, extend from one crossbar f to the other.

In order that cross-bars f may be arranged at a proper and symmetrical distance from the ends of the body, and at the same time bring the seat 27 in position over axle b, so that the proper balance of the body and its load shall be maintained, the springs are extended farther forward than backward from the axle, as shown.

By my arrangement oi the axle, shafts, springs, thoroughbraces, and body, the vertical action of the shafts caused by the action of the horse is not imparted to the body, as the inertia of the body and occupants will hold the same in quiescence, while the slight rocking motion imparted to the axle by the shafts is expended upon springs without disturbing the level of the body, and the universal motion of which the thorough-braces are susceptible allows the body to move vertically, laterally or with a rocking motion when the inertia thereof and of its load is overcome by any unusual roughness or inequality of the roadway.

In addition to the abovestated advantages of my improvements is the further one, that while it retains all the benefits of the clasticity of steel springs, interposed between the body and axle, the flexible thoroughbraces, formed ofleather or other suitable material, entirely absorb and neutralize the reverberations given out by the body, which acts as the sounding-board when only metal supports are interposed between it and the wheels and axle.

I claim as my invention 1. In a two-wheeled vehicle, the combination, with axle b, of shafts c and springs e,

each independently and rigidly secured to the axle, cross-bars f, secured to the respective ends of said springs, and thorough-braces 9, attached to said cross-bars and to body a at )ective corners thereof, whereby said body is supported by the axle, independently of the shafts, through the s n-ings, cross-bars, and thorough-braces, as specified.

2. In a two wheeled vehicle having the shafts e rigidly secured to the axle, the springs greater distance forward than rearward of the axle as to produce the desired equipoise thereof, substantially as specified.

J OSEPII R. LOCKE. \Vitnesses:

EUGENE IIUMIHR m, T. \V. PORTER. 

